A Rural Native American Community Experiences Related to Emotional and Mental Health Well-Being during the COVID19 Pandemic.

Purpose: This qualitative study was conducted as part of a larger nationwide study, the Aegis Project that investigated the impact of the COVID19 pandemic, infection and reinfection, and the potential long-term immunity to SARS-CoV-2 and will be reported in a future paper. The study is a collaborative effort among The University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing, Indiana University at Bloomington School of Public Health, and a rural-based Tribe located in the Midwest. The qualitative component of the study explored the experiences that impacted the emotional and mental health well-being during the COVID19 pandemic. Methods: Data were collected using open-ended interview questions regarding participants' experiences during the pandemic. Results were analyzed using the Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) method which includes the process of categorizing data into specific themes by means of the research team's discourse, external auditing, and agreement. Results: Four themes emerged related to emotional and mental health well-being experiences that include: 1) loss of connectedness, 2) increase in stress, 3) increase in anxiety, and 4) learning to cope. Conclusions: Understanding the lived experiences of Native Americans during the COVID19 pandemic is needed to help guide the development and testing of culturally based interventions to improve the emotional and mental health well-being of Native American communities during pandemics or other distressful incidences such as natural disasters.